


Agent Montana

by BossyCoatrack



Series: Blood Gulch Freelancers [2]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe, Freelancer AU, Gen, Lopez was his AI, Project Freelancer, he just lost his mind a long time ago, lopez is sarge's robot son, sarge is smart, sarge was an odst, the search begins!, the sims are freelancers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-20 02:01:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15523611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BossyCoatrack/pseuds/BossyCoatrack
Summary: "But what if I was to offer a way out? For both yourself and Lopez?""...""I might be listening."





	Agent Montana

**Author's Note:**

> Sarge Yay!

 Although present in one way or another in the recruitment of all Freelancers, Price didn't find any suitable candidates for his part of the "proposition" with the Director for many months. He spent most, if not all of his time between sessions with the Agents looking through UNSC files for his future team. He understood that even if his methods were less risky than the Director's, he was also aware that personalities and people clashed. If he was going to make a team, they would have to work well together, and Price had no intention of embarrassing himself for the Director to prove a point.

 He went through at least 200 files a day, looking over each carefully and sorting them into groups of possible candidates and rejected candidates. It wasn't until the file of a certain ODST crossed his desk that the Counselor stopped his workflow to fully read into one soldier.

 This ODST, soon to be dishonorably discharged, seemed to have as many reprimands as he had deployments. Every report Price read on the man had something bad to say about him and his violent and illogical tactics. Ranging from minor charges to things so bizarre the Counselor had to set the files down and take a walk. This sort of behavior should have immediately put the soldier in the rejected pile without a second thought...

  _But_

 Price looked over the last report in the ODST's file, the one that he was being discharged over. After his squad was killed, he used the remains of his ship to build a body for his ship's AI, and after implanting it _correctly_ (which was certainly nothing to scoff at in itself, as Price had been witness the process before), slaughtered their way through the enemy forces with brute force and what the Counselor was hesitant to call "raging insanity".

 Rescue troops described the scene as bloody and horrific. The robot was described in the report using words such as "unstable" and "bloodthirsty", similar to Its' creator. This was not helped by the fact it attacked the rescuing soldiers relentlessly until ordered to cease by the ODST.

 The ODST was officially ordered a dishonorable discharge when he refused to denounce everything the "clearly mad" robot had done so it could be properly disposed of, the soldier's forced retirement would give the UNSC control to do whatever it wanted to the robot, as it was still technically government property. It was this fact that solidified the Counselor's decision to make a move. He ordered immediate transport to the ODST'S current position, there was no telling when the robot was scheduled for deconstruction, and Price didn't want to loose his leverage.

* * *

** _*BEGIN AUDIO LOG*_ **

"Good evening, Sargent  **[REDACTED]**."

 "My men all just called me Sarge, thanks for nothing. And who're you? Another double-faced lawyer trying to trick me into signing off Lopez like some fancy antique tea set?"

 "Lopez?"

 "Yeah, Lopez! The one you cold unloving bastards have your lacey panties all up in a twist about!"

 "Apologies, I was informed your AI's designation was something different."

 "Well  _I_ and my men call..  _~called~_ him Lopez."

 "I see. Can you tell me why you refuse to let  _Lopez_ be deactivated? You would no doubt receive a lighter punishment if you cooperated."

 "CAUSE HE AIN'T DONE NOTHING _WRONG_!"

 "Your superiors beg to differ."

 "They don't know Lopez like I do!"

 "Then why do  _you_ think Lopez attacked the rescue squad?"

 "Pfff, not much of a rescue if you ask me. Already cleared the place out by the time those slowpokes arrived.."

 "Sargent."

 "Right right. He was _scared_ , nothing malicious about it. He's never met anyone outside the team before, so he didn't know if they were friend or foe. We'd been surrounded for weeks, and he'd been tearing through foes for hours. And _boy_  you should'a _seen_! Like they were playdough! I don't want to brag about my engineering skills but _damn_!"

 " _Sargent."_

 "And so what if he fractured a few spines!? He'd only had a body for a few hours, you can't expect him to know his own strength!"

 "That is another thing I would like to ask. You made that body yourself?"

 "Heh heh, yep!"

 "Within a few weeks? With nothing but the remains of your ship and none of the proper tools?"

 "You make it sound difficult. Building robots is a hobby of mine, been doing it for years! I could build you a flamethrower outta a coffee maker and a tripod!"

 "And you implanted your AI successfully into this body."

 "That part was a little tricky and I'll admit there was a lot of guesswork, but Lopez talked me through some of it."

 "I was unaware your AI could speak. Most ODST model AI are very basic and don't have many interactive capabilities."

 "Well he more screeched at me when I did something wrong, but I felt pretty confident that I could decipher him accurately."

 ...

 "Naturally..

 "You seem to have an unappreciated gift Sargent, I hate seeing go to waist. Along with your creation."

 "Yeah well... I suppose there's nothing to be done now. You can't go against direct orders."

 " Though I can't help but find myself still curious, if you know Lopez is going to be deactivated no matter what, why continue to bring a harsher punishment on yourself?"

 "A soldier doesn't betray his men, he goes down with them. I'm not going to be the one to damn him, no matter what you offer. So whatever you came in here to say? You can shove it up your delicate ass, hear me? I ain't bitin'!"

 "But what if I was to offer a way out? For both yourself _and_ Lopez?"

 ...

 "I _might_ be listening."

 "Sargent, I am putting together a team. I believe your skills could be put to use on this team with some proper training, and your creation is also nothing to scoff at. So I am willing to pull a few strings, so to say, and in return you and your...  _Lopez_ agree to join my project."

 "You can get Lopez back _and_ keep me fighting?" 

 "Indeed I can, that is a promise."

 "Where do I sign?"

 "Wonderful. First we'll need to talk about your codename..."

** _*END AUDIO LOG*_ **


End file.
